Coconut + Zippers = Handbags

My daughter and I had a lot of fun on Lamu island, off the coast of Kenya, earlier this year. One of the items we came across was this coconut handbag. Some had designs, some were raw, all were incredibly cool.

If I remember correctly, I bargained poorly and bought it for 150/= ($2). The problem was that the merchant new how badly my daughter wanted it so he knew I was stuck. This is the one we ended up buying:

Yes, these are mainly for tourists. However, it’s a good showcase of local reuse of what would otherwise be garbage for microentrepreneurial gain.

the lining in these purses is any kind of fabric that looks good. The zippers are glued on, as are any beading for decoration. The handles are of hemp, beads strung on cording, etc. I bought one is Galveston, TX, and have had many comments on it. I’m trying to get coconuts to make my own.